Canada's Justice Minister Criticizes Equal Parenting after DivorceCanada's Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has weighed in on shared parenting, and he obviously doesn't understand the issue. The article in question is Kids' interests No.1 priority in divorce, justice minister says (
Canwest News Service, 8/17/09). The article says:
The interests of children must take priority over a father's right to an
equal parenting role after divorce, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said here Monday.
This falsely juxtapositions children vs. fathers, when in reality in most cases the interests of children are protected and served by equal parenting and maximizing father-involvement after divorce. What courts and the law must do--and what they currently so often fail to do--is to protect children's right to have a relationship with both parents after divorce or separation.
Are there exceptions? Of course. If dad (or mom) is a drug addict or a raging alcoholic, if dad (or mom) is mentally ill, physically abusive, or generally violent, then the other parent should get sole custody. And yes, there are times when the demands of dad's (or mom's) job make equal parenting unworkable. But these are exceptions–in general, kids do best when they spend roughly equal amounts of time with each parent, and when their right to a relationship with both parents is protected.
One also wonders who it is who's supposed to determine what is in a child's best interests? Most fathers are perfectly capable of judging whether equal parenting is in their children's best interests.
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